LaPorte County Police: Armed man wanted shootout

Incident was second time in a month man was involved in Hudson Lake standoff.

Incident was second time in a month man was involved in Hudson Lake standoff.

April 05, 2007|STAN MADDUX Tribune Correspondent

HUDSON LAKE -- An armed man for the second time in less than a month has been taken from a home in Hudson Lake after a police standoff. On both occasions, David P. Holloway was safely captured, despite making claims that he wished to be killed by police in a shootout with "guns blazing," according to LaPorte County police. Holloway, 48, is charged in LaPorte Circuit Court with burglary, resisting law enforcement and carrying a handgun without a permit, according to LaPorte County police. The charges stem from Monday night, when he broke into a woman's home, apparently through a window, in the 7100 block of East Hazel Lane, according to police. Police say the woman made several attempts to get away, including once when she locked herself in a bathroom. Eventually, she was able to get out and flee to a nearby residence. At 11:45 p.m., LaPorte County police were contacted and were told that Holloway had a gun and had barricaded himself inside the residence. Over a five-hour period, the ranch-style home was surrounded by officers as Deputy Andrew Morse and Sgt. Mike Kellems contacted Holloway several times on the telephone, trying to persuade him to surrender. Police said he sounded intoxicated, with emotions ranging from calm to suicidal. Just before 3 a.m., about 90 minutes after saying he wanted to be shot, Holloway again stated he wanted to die and was willing to come out with "guns a-blazing," police said. By 4:40 a.m., there was no further contact with Holloway, despite numerous attempts to talk with him, so four canisters of tear gas were placed in the home. Quickly, police said, officers yelled "the bedroom. He's coming out of the bedroom. He's got a gun." Holloway was trying to climb out a window as officers from the outside grabbed both his arms while officers inside the dwelling held his waist. Among the items recovered from his vehicle were a white envelope containing a letter addressed to the woman at the house and a bottle of Southern Comfort whiskey, according to police reports. According to investigators, Holloway lived at the East Hazel Lane address until March 15, when the woman told him to leave after a similar incident and standoff with police. In that incident, the woman told police Holloway was armed with a shotgun and threatened to kill both of them. He was later admitted to the LaPorte Hospital stress center and began living elsewhere, police said.